Impossible.
It was the first word the Emperor and Empress thought when their souls crawled back into their bodies after Nina's mighty revelation.
It was also the same word they had been repeating to themselves as they sat across from their daughter, trying to glean something from her extremely guarded lips.
When they finally coaxed her back into her room, they reassured her gently, telling her she didn't need to answer if she had made an oath, but if a question wasn't bound by her promise, then she could answer as honestly as possible.
Nina's trembling blue eyes sparkled with tears. Her small hands clutched her chest as if holding back a storm, then—flop!—she nearly fell backward in a dramatic, adorable swoon.
Empress Gisella sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, while her husband hovered, visibly distressed.
And so began the strangest questioning of their lives.
The Empress softened her voice. "Nina… can you tell us a little about your brother?"
